MEXICAN CHOCOLATE SUGAR CRISPS

 

Have you ever had a recipe that you really wanted to try, but for whatever reason, you just kept passing it by and thinking, "soon"? That's this recipe for Mexican Chocolate Sugar Crisps. 

I found it in one of my newer cookbook finds at an estate sale called Taste of Home Grandma's Favorites, 2023. I love the cookbooks. Not always, but often they have a picture of the finished delight. That's always an encouragement to try the recipe. This recipe didn't disappoint as they had a full page picture of it opposite the recipe.

Every time I opened the cookbook, I would see the picture and think, "these look so delicious".

 So the good news is, this time when I saw the picture, I reread the recipe to make sure I had everything I needed and I finally made them.

OMG. I know this is going to be one of my new favorite recipes. They are the best ever!!!!! You just have to try them. I'm sure you will agree with me.

Since I am taking them to church for the Cafe Treats, I know our patrons will love them also.

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MEXICAN CHOCOLATE  SUGAR CRISPS

3/4     cup shortening

1-1/4  cup sugar, divided

1        large egg, room temperature

1/4     cup light corn syrup

2        oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1-3/4  cups flour

1-1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1        teaspoon baking soda

1/4     teaspoon baking soda

1/4     teaspoon salt

1        cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Melt chocolate according to directions on package. 

(It took about 45 seconds to melt the chocolate for me, stopping to stir after 30 seconds.)

Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl with a stand mixer, cream the shortening and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy, 5 - 7 minutes.

I stopped after 5 minutes and scraped the sides of the bowl, and then continued for 2 more minutes.

Beat in egg, corn syrup, and melted chocolate.

Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

In another bowl whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Gradually beat into the creamed mixture.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Measure the rest of the sugar, 1/4 cup, into a small bowl.

Using a small cookie scoop, drop flat scoops in the sugar and roll to cover.

Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. (Do not flatten.)

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the tops are puffed and cracked.

Cool on the pans for 2 minutes before removing to finish cooling on wire rack.

TO MAKE AHEAD: Dough can be made 2 days in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight container and refrigerate.

FREEZE OPTION: Freeze shaped balls of dough on baking sheets until firm. Transfer to airtight containers and return to freezer. To use, bake cookies as directed.

MADELEINES

 Cafe Treats Baker Deanna is a new addition to the Cafe Treats Bakers and also to our Blankets of Hope quilting group at the church. That's what I call jumping in feet first and she is contributing so much to both groups. We are blessed that she found Platte Woods United Methodist Church.

Deanna had a friend recommend making these Madeleines and even loaned her the pans to bake them. Deanna had so much fun making these she told me she was going to try and find the pans. I told her Friend Janice and I see them occasionally at estate sales so I would keep my eyes open looking for some.

Deanna sent me the recipe earlier in the week and said she would be making them later in the week. She just caught me at an alert moment so I asked her to take some pictures along the way and she did. Yay. I am such a visual learner and I love having pictures to show the process.

The recipe is really easy and taste great! Deanna said she thought the lemon zest really made them delicious. Anyway, hopefully you have some pans and you can make them too. (Credit Martha Stewart with the recipe.)

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MADELEINES

1/2     cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the pans

1        cup sifted flour, plus more for the pans

4        large eggs, room temperature

2/3     cup sugar

1/4     teaspoon salt

1        teaspoon vanilla extract

1        teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour madeleine pans carefully with the extra ingredients. Set aside.

Melt the stick of butter and allow it to cool.

Using the whisk attachment on your electric beater, whisk the eggs, sugar, and salt for 8 minutes until thick.

Add the vanilla and lemon zest to the mixture.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour rapidly but gently.

Gently fold in the cooled butter, making sure it does not settle to the bottom.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake until golden, about 7 minutes.

Remove from the pans and cool on racks.

Dust with powdered sugar when cooled.

BANANA NUT BROWNIES

 I hope you aren't tiring of my recipes using bananas. I actually used our bananas this time as I was making these for our next door neighbors. We are really blessed to have some friendly and helpful neighbors. When it snows, someone appears and clears our long driveway and sidewalks. If we need any assistance with anything, it's there. Just a few days ago we lost one of our maple trees to some strong wind and rain. The next morning two neighbors Peter and Ryan were there with saws to cut it up to carry it off. (Pictures below.)

Peter's wife Colti has recently started selling Native American Jewelry. I have always loved Native American Jewelry and have quite a few pieces. She was going to show her pieces at a Spring Arts and Crafts Show and we went to support her and see what she had to sell. I was looking at two charms that I really liked and suggested to her that they would make pretty earrings. She picked them up and said she would make earrings for me. They turned out so cool. When I told her I wanted to pay her, she said, "baked goods". That's why I made these brownies. Colti told me Peter's daughter Ireland loves anything chocolate. So chocolate it was.

As I said, we had bananas that needed to be dealt with and I had found this recipe earlier when looking for something for the Cafe Treats. It has been a while since I made brownies that didn't have much flour so they have a different consistency. Ireland especially enjoyed them.

Right now I have a lot of baking to do...

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BANANA NUT BROWNIES

1/2     cup (1 stick) butter, melted, cooled

1        cup sugar

3        tablespoons baking cocoa

2        large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1        tablespoon whole milk

1        teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2     cup flour

1        teaspoon baking powder

1/4     teaspoon salt

1        cup mashed ripe bananas (2 - 3 bananas)

1/2     cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray or grease a 9 inch square baking pan. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and cocoa.

Stir in eggs, milk, and vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and

then add to the creamed mixture.

Stir in bananas and nuts.

Pour into pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes our with moist crumbs,  40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Cut into squares to serve.

Just before serving you can dust with powdered sugar if you like. 

Our beautiful maple tree...

BANANA CREAM COOKIES

 Since I have all of those bananas to use up for Cafe Treats, I continue to be on the lookout for tasty looking treats using bananas and the more the merrier. This recipe only used one banana, but result was so delicious, it's okay. (I'll just be making treats with bananas a little while longer.)

I must admit it took me trips to several different grocery stores to find the banana cream instant pudding mix, but I did. I also bought two boxes so I would have an extra one to make the cookies again if they turned out good.

One person thought the white baking chips were macadamia nuts, but I reminded them the Cafe Treats was a nut-free zone. They were pleased when I told them it was white baking chips. The recipe made almost 5 dozen cookies so I did keep just a few for our cookie jar.

PRINT RECIPE.

BANANA CREAM COOKIES

1/2     cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1        cup sugar

1/2     cup smashed banana (about 1 banana)

1        3.4 oz package banana cream instant pudding mix

2        large eggs

2-1/2  cups flour

1/2     teaspoon baking soda

1/2     teaspoon salt

2        cups (12 oz package) white baking chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Combine the butter and sugar and mix with an electric mixer til smooth.

Add the smashed banana, dry pudding mix, and eggs. Mix until ingredients are smooth.

Add the dry ingredients slowly to the mixing bowl and mix  until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Add the white baking chips.

Scoop the dough using a small (tablespoon) cookie scoop and drop dollops about 2 inches apart.

If you like flatter cookies you can then lightly flatten with your fingers. 

Bake for 10 minutes or until slight golden. Cool baked cookies for two or three minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.